After a year and a half of struggling with acne after living a life full of beautiful skin, I've decided to make this post in hopes of helping the people who feel hopeless and that they will never see clear skin in their life again. Here's my disclaimer- I am a nutrition major at UIC and work in the Whole Body/Supplement section of Whole Foods Market. I am not a doctor nor a licensed dietician as of yet so take this information as you please. If you follow my suggestions, I can guarantee clearer, beautiful skin! This may be long but it will be worth your while.

First things first, if you don't believe acne and nutrition are connected, I am terribly sorry but you are WRONG. Bacteria and oil are NOT the enemies here, people! Food is. Your skin is an outer reflection of exactly what is going on inside your body, namely your digestive organs like the large intestines. So the very first thing you need to do is reevaluate your diet and please remember to keep an open mind. Everything I am about to tell you has been proven in scientific journals from around the world, if you'd like to learn more I have left a list of books, movies and online resources to check out.

Despite the controversy, dairy is shown to be linked to acne. Dairy wreaks absolute havoc on your body and skin, especially with the standards of the United States' factory farms. It is pumped full of hormones which we know affect skin, anti-biotics and fed a diet of genetically modified corn, ground up cows, pigs, cats, dogs, and whatever else the 'farmer' can get his hands on for cheap. And ever since the drought, 'farmers' have even resorted to feeding their animals with sprinkles, gummy worms, oreos, you name it.

When dairy enters the body, it causes an extremely acidic environment, so your body's defense automatically needs to neutralize and alkalinize it and does so by pulling key nutrients from other parts of the body like your bones and skin. Not only does dairy rob your body and skin of nutrients, it also is left to putrefy in your intestines for 24-48 hours(which is how long it takes the average human to fully digest food). Now take a minute to imagine what would happen to milk/cheese/ice cream if it was left in an environment that's 98 degrees for a day or two. It actually causes little pustules on the intestines much like say, a pimple! Gross, right? Toxins expelled from your intestines need to find their way out of the body, a quick and easy way is through the skin and BAM, acne.

Also, most people after the age of three stop producing, lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose/milk protein. This is because humans were genetically not supposed to consume our mother's milk after the age of three and certainly not supposed to drink the milk of another animal. If you are one of the following nationalities, you are at an extremely high risk of lactose intolerance or not producing lactase:Asian descent- 90-100% lactose intolerant*Native Americans- 95%*African descent- 65-70%*Italian descent- 65-70%*Hispanic descent- 50-60%*(*Reference: The Food Revolution page 99)

If you gather nothing else from this post, please let this be the one! Your body and skin will thank you.

I'm not going to go as in depth with this topic because there is not enough research done on it but almost everything I said about dairy, also goes for meat. It's acidic, it putrefies in the intestines, and the anatomy of human doesn't agree with meat. Carnivore's(meat eaters) take only about 2 hours to fully digest their food, as I mentioned earlier humans take 1-2 days; we are meant to be omnivores. But, if you're not ready to give up the meat, at least try to find a clean source for it; reach out to local farmers that raise cattle/chickens humanely and are fed a clean diet.

The idea of changing your diet is to get back to nature; one ingredient foods. This means look for organic, non-gmo, unprocessed foods and crowd out the bad stuff with the good. Fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans/legumes and whole grains should be staples in your diet unless you have a gluten/wheat sensitivity or allergy which in that case you would stay away from whole grains and shift towards wheat and gluten free grains.

Of course there are going to be those days where you are just craving a slice of pizza or a nice big bowl of mac&cheese especially because most people's comfort foods include dairy in some way(just like me!). There is a vegan alternative to every single thing you can imagine. If someone told me a year ago I would be a vegan today I would have laughed in their face. I never thought I could do it. But it's SO much easier than you think. Some yummy alternatives I have found to my favorite comfort foods can be found at health food stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Fruitful Yield, etc. Now, I'm not saying replace your diet now with all this processed food but for the occasional treat, these are all amazing alternatives that will satisfy your craving without having to feel horrible about it or breaking out terribly because they are all vegan and most are non-gmo or organic. Here's a few of my favorites:

Cow's milk- almond milk, soy milk, coconut milkCheese- Daiya cheese (comes in cheddar, mozzarella and pepper jackMac&Cheese- Amy's rice pasta and vegan cheese(made with daiya cheese) OR Vegan Cafe's creamy macaroni & cheesePizza- Amy's vegan margarita pizza (you also can make your own with the daiya cheese OR at Whole Foods you can order a vegan pizza fresh made by the prepared foods department, it's delish)Milk chocolate- Carob, dark chocolateChocolate snacks- Hail Merry Chocolate Macaroons- THESE ARE TO DIE FOR! I eat them instead of cookies/chocolate bars/etc.Meat- There are plenty alternatives you can buy frozenI also have amazing recipes for vegan chili and vegan black bean burgers that won't make you miss meat!

Aside from animal products, the next trigger for acne is sugar. Yes all types, brown sugar, white sugar, refined sugar you name it. It causes spike in blood sugar and is also very acidic in the body. Most people have heard of and are familiar with the link between sugar and acne so I won't dive into this topic either.

I believe this next trigger comes close to animal products, and that is processed food. Now, I'm not going to be unrealistic and say cut it out completely, but look at the ingredients. Make sure you know what every ingredient is on that label and the fewer the better. Although it may be a few bucks more expensive, chose USDA organic products when possible; they are much more nutrient dense and have far less toxins. Toxins=acne. Shifting toward a clean diet is key.

So now that you've taken away part of your diet, what will go in place? The most nutrient dense, detoxifying, brightening, strengthening foods out there. Crowd out the bad stuff with good stuff. My recommendation is to start off every morning with a smoothie. I believe this is sosososo important! You can get a blender for about $40 at a department store and it will be a great investment in your health. Smoothies should always contain fruits AND veggies! Greens in particular, they are cleansing and detoxifying. You can chose either frozen or fresh fruit, whatever you prefer and through it in your blender. This is usually what I do:

Strawberries, blueberries, mangoes/pineapple with some carrot juice. Then I blend in a stalk or two of kale(remove the middle stem and just use the thin leafy parts) and a few handfuls of spinach. The magic ingredient I end with is a scoop or so of Vibrant Health's Green Vibrance. They also sell this at health food stores or you could always find it online. This stuff is absolutely amazing and essential if you don't get enough greens/vegetables in your diet. It contains just about every green vegetable and seaweed you could think up, PLUS special detoxifying herbs PLUS 25 billion probiotics and at least 95% of your daily value of all the fat soluble vitamins(A,D,E,&K)! If you're not a fan of the consistency/taste of this product you could also try Sunfood's Sun Is Shining which is very similar to Green Vibrance. Feel free to do research on these products, there's lots of good feedback on the net. I noticed a difference in my skin just a few days into using it.

If like myself, you have been eating animal products and processed junk your whole life, your body is probably extremely toxic. I recommend doing a full body cleanse to kick start results. I'm not saying go on a crazy water or juice fast- just adopt your new lifestyle and give your body that extra push it needs. There are cleanses you can get at health food stores. I have tried a few and my favorite has to be Garden of Life's RAW Cleanse- I noticed a different in my complexion just a few days into it. It's raw, it's vegan, it's only seven days, it's amazing. What most people don't understand about cleanses though is that once you cleanse your body, those toxins end up getting filtered through your liver and kidneys which if your body is very toxic, can be a heavy load on your liver. I recommend doing a liver cleanse right after a cleanse or during a cleanse. Good supplements for this are: Himalaya's LiverCare and Soloray's Liver Blend. You can take them at the same time; they just utilize certain herbs that assist the liver in detoxification.

These will rid the body of many toxins but not from everything. Chances are, if you have ever eaten meat in your life, you have worms. 85-90% of American's have worms in their intestines. Worms, along with candida/yeast overgrowth can be major causes of acne. It's really gross but the good news is, you can get rid of them all with one herb. I refer to this herb as magical because of how well it works. Oil of Oregano is the most anti-microbial, anti-bacterial herb known to man. In placebo studies it actually worked better than penicillin and amoxicillin in killing bacteria. Want to know the best thing about it? It doesn't touch your good bacteria, it only kills the bad bacteria unlike anti-biotics which kill ALL bacteria, even your good flora. Oil of Oregano has more benefits than I could count on all my fingers and toes, I'd encourage you to do more research on the benefits of the herb. I'd recommend doing the Oil of Oregano for a month straight, twice a day. I prefer the tincture but it also comes in capsules. I've found Gaia's Oil of Oregano to be one of the cheapest, but most effective. If you have worms or candida/yeast overgrowth, a month should be plenty of time to get your gut in balance. You should absolutely notice a difference in your skin within a few days with this one; it is extremely powerful stuff.

Most people are uneducated about probiotics but they are absolutely vital to curing acne. You want more good bacteria than bad in your gut because bad bacteria is what causes acne. You have countless strains of bacteria and about 400 trillion organisms in your gut so when picking out a probiotic supplement, look for AT LEAST 20 billion organisms and as many strains as you can find, the more, the better. Also, many probiotics are grown in dairy! Make sure you look on the bottle that it says free of dairy- dairy probiotics will do the same thing dairy itself does in the gut. One I've found that works well is MegaFood's MegaFlora. It has 20 billion organisms and 14 strains per capsule. It's dairy and allergen free.

I'm very confident lifestyle changes are enough to cure the skin but for some that have severe acne and/or have been on antibiotics need a little extra attention. If you've taken Accutane or routine anti-biotics, you've done some damage to your intestines. But the good news about the body is that amazing ability it has to repair itself. I would encourage you to do all of the above but you should absolutely focus on probiotics. You should be taking double to quadruple the amount I advised above because your gut is so depleted of good bacteria at this point. I would also add in some reparative herbs. The most important and potent of those being Curcumin which is the extracted active ingredient of the herb, Turmeric. It can actually repair the tissues of your organs inside and out; from your gut to your skin. It is also extremely anti-inflammatory which is another cause of acne. I would recommend 500 mg twice per day for the first month or so and then cut back to one for maintenance. Other reparative herbs include Neem and Amla. There is a product by Organic India called Skin Renew that includes both of these herbs plus turmeric. I would still advise taking the extra curcumin though.

Lastly, but certainly not least I want to talk about mental stability. Most people wouldn't think your skin and your mental state relate at all but they surprisingly do. Have you ever heard anyone tell you if you imagine/visualize/tell yourself something, your mind can make it happen? Same goes here; if you obsessively look in the mirror, think about your acne, tell yourself how bad it is, etc, your mind will actually make what your subconscious is telling you the truth. So if you obsess and think about your skin most of your days, your mind will make it a reality. You have to let go of what you think you know and talking down about yourself and just love yourself! Everyday for the next month take at least a few minutes out of everyday to tell yourself the following:

I can cure my acne.I have total control over my skin.The healthier I get, the healthier my skin gets.Clear skin is no accident.Curing acne is simple and easy.I will have clear, beautiful skin.

Just say it over and over again. It's best to do it when you are in a relaxed state or meditating(hate that word, but basically just focus on your breathing, relax and repeat the phrases in bold) This will literally make your subconscious believe exactly what you're telling it. This is exactly like hypnosis; if you can't relax on your own, look up self hypnosis online. There are great resources to learning how to get in the right frame of mind for this to actually work. I never knew mental health and skin had any correlation but it makes total sense. To be totally healthy, you need to be healthy body, mind and soul. You will find happiness when all of these are are in balance.

My goal is to help people. I'm well versed in nutrition, natural medicine and supplements. If I have left questions unanswered or have left you confused please do not hesitate to email me or leave a comment here. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions/concerns. For those who have read this entire thing, I hope I have helped in your journey to having beautiful skin and that you take my suggestions and at least give them a try for a month. You have nothing to lose, only clear skin to gain.

-Sarahscampb22@uic.edu

ALL! Here is a great resource from Dr. Furhman, MD's website based off of his book 'Eat to Live'. There are plenty of scientific studies on how diet affects acne and also many testimonials of those who have followed his low-fat vegan diet. This website has endless information, resources, recipes, etc.Here's the link :http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cat-acne.html

I would also recommend the following books and movies for both healthy skin and a healthy body.

BOOKS-Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe-The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder, CN-The China Study by T. Collin Campbell, PhD-The Food Revolution by John Robbins-Diet for a New America by John Robbins-Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD

What about those of us who don't eat any dairy, any gluten, any soy, any corn, any grains, eat tons of healthy vegetables, no sugar, no processed food, no drugs, no alcohol, nothing toxic on the skin, no smoking, etc etc etc?

And still are covered in acne? What then?

You're right about stressing and worrying over your skin. But this is a 10+ year battle for me now and I'm in PAIN.

What about those of us who don't eat any dairy, any gluten, any soy, any corn, any grains, eat tons of healthy vegetables, no sugar, no processed food, no drugs, no alcohol, nothing toxic on the skin, no smoking, etc etc etc?

And still are covered in acne? What then?

You're right about stressing and worrying over your skin. But this is a 10+ year battle for me now and I'm in PAIN.

I can't believe you didn't mentioned the recommendations for all the processed vegan faux foods.

People, you can be a vegan if you want, but not by eating all these grain and soy based processed foods. Eat real food.

And those that aren't vegan, yes our industrialized food is horrible, especially animal products. Choose organic/pastured/humane etc. and support small local producers and urban initiatives to allow homeowners to keep chickens.

Edited by alternativista, 05 December 2012 - 09:44 AM.

Status: Clear after 30 years. Wow, I guess it's been 6 years, now.

[ Story: Severe Acne since I was 10. 10+ years of Dermatologists, Antibiotics, topicals and ACCUTANE did nothing. Discovered oranges triggered the worst of my cystic acne = about 70% improvement. Tried some nutrient supplements like B-complex with zinc and C, saw palmetto and a BHA like the aspirin mask = more improvement, a lot less oily. Then, Diet changes = Clear.

Regimen: Anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense, blood sugar stabilizing diet and supplements (for hormones, inflammation, aging, health). No soap or other cleanser except for hand washing! Water only or Oil cleanse. Aloe Vera mixed with niacinimide and a high linoleic acid oil for moisturizer and reduce pigmentation.

I agree with all of the above and do all of the above but I also know that for some of us, we have to do more than just change our diet and our thinking. I have to do some mainstream meds if I want to have healthy clear skin. The goal is just topicals but I'm not quite there yet. I hope this is supportive to the poster above who is still breaking out despite diet, etc.

You mention a lot of great things and recommendations in your thread, so for that, thanks!

However, the dietary guidelines you give for all animal product is seriously flawed and based on outdated research/literature. Humans are not actually meant to be omnivores at all- just take a brief look at our ancestry and you will see this. Additionally, the digestive track of humans is between the length of omnivores and carnivores, so we are "genetically" created to eat both meat and veggies/fruit. We are NOT however, created to consume grain.

I would definitely not advocate not consuming any animal products, it nearly ruined me. I do however, advocate eating a diet low in red meat (about a few times a month at most and ONLY grass fed), wild caught fish, and lots of free range/organic lean meats.

But again- you did mention a lot of great things so don't think I'm totally slamming your post! Also appreciate the time you spent sharing the info.

You mention a lot of great things and recommendations in your thread, so for that, thanks!

However, the dietary guidelines you give for all animal product is seriously flawed and based on outdated research/literature. Humans are not actually meant to be omnivores at all- just take a brief look at our ancestry and you will see this. Additionally, the digestive track of humans is between the length of omnivores and carnivores, so we are "genetically" created to eat both meat and veggies/fruit. We are NOT however, created to consume grain.

I would definitely not advocate not consuming any animal products, it nearly ruined me. I do however, advocate eating a diet low in red meat (about a few times a month at most and ONLY grass fed), wild caught fish, and lots of free range/organic lean meats.

But again- you did mention a lot of great things so don't think I'm totally slamming your post! Also appreciate the time you spent sharing the info.

I would really consider doing some more research on the effect animal products have on the body; for how animal products affect the skin, I would check out: Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe and The Beauty Detox by Kimberly Snyder, CN. As far as how animal animal products effect the body, The China Study by T. Collin Campbell, PhD and The Food Revolution by John Robbins. The China Study is known as 'the most comprehensive study ever done on nutrition' which took place over the course of FORTY YEARS. It is also very scientific which I love because you can't refute/argue science. Though I would highly recommend these reads, they are a bit lengthy and because their non-fiction nature, they are also a bit boring if nutrition doesn't interest you; so you could check out the movie, Forks Over Knives by T. Collin Campbell, PhD. This is a quick recap on The China Study. This information is very up-to-date. Thank you so much for your post! Let me know if you check out any of my recommendations, I'd love to see what you think!

By being vegan you might become deficient in zinc, b-vitamins and omega 3 which is beneficial to prevent other diseases if not acne.

There are many amazing plant foods you can get these vitamins/minerals/oils from! For example zinc can be found in asparagus, brussels sprouts, any type of beans, okra, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, kale, spirulina, and swiss chard.

B vitamins can be found in almost any green leafy food, whole grains, peas, almonds, any type of bean, bananas, potatoes, and avocado. B12 is a vitamin that many vegetarians & vegans can in fact be deficient in because it's mostly found in animal products. But luckily, there is a vegan alternative called Brewer's yeast/Nutritional yeast. This is an all natural form of B12 and the daily recommendation for B12 is so small(2.4 micrograms), it's easy to incorporate into the diet.

Also, if a person is terribly worried they won't be able to incorporate these foods into their diet, there are always supplements to lean back upon. I recommend whole food vitamins; meaning 100% of the vitamins/minerals in the supplement come from FOOD! No synthetics. These supplements are readily available to the body and you absorb 95% of the amount on the label versus a synthetic or food based supplement where you only absorb about 35%. Whole Food Supplement companies include: Garden of Life, MegaFood and New Chapter. These are all very reputable companies.

What about those of us who don't eat any dairy, any gluten, any soy, any corn, any grains, eat tons of healthy vegetables, no sugar, no processed food, no drugs, no alcohol, nothing toxic on the skin, no smoking, etc etc etc?

And still are covered in acne? What then?

You're right about stressing and worrying over your skin. But this is a 10+ year battle for me now and I'm in PAIN.

Well I can tell you the lifestyle you lead is very healthy and your body will thank you for that! Have you ever seen a naturopathic doctor before? Depending on where you live, you should be able to just google naturopathic doctors near (where you live). There has to be an underlying cause to your skin because your lifestyle seems impeccable; naturopathic doctors utilize different treatments to actually treat the CAUSE not the SYMPTOMS like most medical doctors/dermatologists do. I know hormone issues and food allergies can be major causes of stubborn acne and test can be administered. Have you tried any of the supplements I listed above? I would really consider Vibrant Health's Green Vibrance(1-2x/day), Oil of Oregano(3x/day), Curcumin(2x/day) and a good probiotic. Thank you so much for your post and I truly wish the best for you! If you end up trying any of my suggestions, keep me updated on how they're working out

I agree with all of the above and do all of the above but I also know that for some of us, we have to do more than just change our diet and our thinking. I have to do some mainstream meds if I want to have healthy clear skin. The goal is just topicals but I'm not quite there yet. I hope this is supportive to the poster above who is still breaking out despite diet, etc.

That's great that you've taken the diet step, that's probably the biggest hurdle- your body will thank you for that! I would also recommend seeing a naturopathic doctor to find the root cause of your acne. You mentioned you needed 'mainstream meds' to get clear skin, what kind of meds are you talking about? If you are referring to anti-biotics, I would really recommend trying Oil of Oregano 3x/day; it works as well if not better than many anti-biotics. The issue with topicals is that they just treat the symptoms of acne, and won't give you permanently clear skin because you're not getting to the root of why exactly your skin is breaking out. I hope this post was hopeful and please don't hesitate to ask questions.

By being vegan you might become deficient in zinc, b-vitamins and omega 3 which is beneficial to prevent other diseases if not acne.

Chia and flax are loaded with Zinc. And where do you think cows get their b-vitamins? By eating other cows? And omega 3's can be found in large quantities in Chia seeds and Flax seeds. Also hemp seeds and kiwi seeds.

If you are stupid on a vegan diet, you will fail. If you don't consume enough calories, you will fail. If you don't get a balance of fats and plant based proteins and quality carbohydrates, you will fail.

This subject is one of the most debated here in nutrition section. And i've always said that i believe people who fail on the vegan diet don't know what they are doing.

If it's food that's the problem, how come I could eat whatever I wanted and not get acne from ages 0 to 13?

Probably because before you hit puberty, your hormone levels are extremely low. And food can and does affect your body's ability to regulate hormones. So it isn't solely food that is causing acne, it's how the food affects your bodily functions. And this is different from person to person. I feel like genetics plays a big role as well, which is why some people eat like crap, yet have flawless skin. For those of us without perfect skin genes, we have to try a little harder

Also on a side note, kids are hitting puberty at younger and younger ages today. I was reading about an 8 year old who was developing breasts and pubic hair. It's not surprising considering all the growth hormones these kids are ingesting simply through dairy. Let alone the effects of the GMOs most families are consuming. Or just the complete shite diets they are consuming in general

By being vegan you might become deficient in zinc, b-vitamins and omega 3 which is beneficial to prevent other diseases if not acne.

Chia and flax are loaded with Zinc. And where do you think cows get their b-vitamins? By eating other cows? And omega 3's can be found in large quantities in Chia seeds and Flax seeds. Also hemp seeds and kiwi seeds.

If you are stupid on a vegan diet, you will fail. If you don't consume enough calories, you will fail. If you don't get a balance of fats and plant based proteins and quality carbohydrates, you will fail.

This subject is one of the most debated here in nutrition section. And i've always said that i believe people who fail on the vegan diet don't know what they are doing.

By being vegan you might become deficient in zinc, b-vitamins and omega 3 which is beneficial to prevent other diseases if not acne.

Chia and flax are loaded with Zinc. And where do you think cows get their b-vitamins? By eating other cows? And omega 3's can be found in large quantities in Chia seeds and Flax seeds. Also hemp seeds and kiwi seeds.

If you are stupid on a vegan diet, you will fail. If you don't consume enough calories, you will fail. If you don't get a balance of fats and plant based proteins and quality carbohydrates, you will fail.

This subject is one of the most debated here in nutrition section. And i've always said that i believe people who fail on the vegan diet don't know what they are doing.

Recommended daily amount of zinc is 15 mg and even more for acne sufferers which I am not sure you can fulfill daily with a vegan diet. The omega 3 in seeds is mainly ALA and needs to be converted to DHA. Raw seeds are hard to digest and you need a tonne of it.

Recommended daily amount of zinc is 15 mg and even more for acne sufferers which I am not sure you can fulfill daily with a vegan diet. The omega 3 in seeds is mainly ALA and needs to be converted to DHA. Raw seeds are hard to digest and you need a tonne of it.

First off, the whole RDA system is questionable to begin with. Also you could be consuming 15 mg of zinc, and only absorbing a fraction of it. It all depends on how well you've conditioned your gut with proper diet, thus promoting proper absorption. It's not about how much you throw at your body, it's about what it can absorb. And the way you should be eating seeds is in sprouted form. They are much easier to digest this way. Also when they are both sprouted and ground, they are even easier to digest. Throw in fermentation and you've got the safest way to eat them.

Now, there are many variables that alter how well the body can convert ALA to DHA. These can include genetic problems, (as in some people simply have less of the conversion enzymes needed), supporting vitamin problems (many people lack the level of vitamins needed to sufficiently aid in omega 3 fatty acid conversion, as the typical western diet is low in vitamins, which get used for other purposes first), Balance problems (we tend to have a much higher consumption of omega 6 fatty acids, and this can lead to the conversion enzymes getting used up for the omega 6 fatty acids), and also freshness and preparation (seeds need to be kept in the fridge after opening to avoid rancidity, and you should be consuming these essential fatty acids as raw as possible), and also stress levels. (when your body is in a constant state of stress, it's switching it's focus away from digestion absorption/complex nutrient conversion, and focusing more heavily on basic body functions)

Basically, the healthier the individual's diet and lifestyle, the better he/she will be able to effectively convert

If it's food that's the problem, how come I could eat whatever I wanted and not get acne from ages 0 to 13?

I don't know why I'm answering because I know it's pointless to explain anything to you, but it's because food isn't THE problem. It's just a huge factor affecting every process that leads to acne formation.

Status: Clear after 30 years. Wow, I guess it's been 6 years, now.

[ Story: Severe Acne since I was 10. 10+ years of Dermatologists, Antibiotics, topicals and ACCUTANE did nothing. Discovered oranges triggered the worst of my cystic acne = about 70% improvement. Tried some nutrient supplements like B-complex with zinc and C, saw palmetto and a BHA like the aspirin mask = more improvement, a lot less oily. Then, Diet changes = Clear.

Regimen: Anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense, blood sugar stabilizing diet and supplements (for hormones, inflammation, aging, health). No soap or other cleanser except for hand washing! Water only or Oil cleanse. Aloe Vera mixed with niacinimide and a high linoleic acid oil for moisturizer and reduce pigmentation.

It is also very scientific which I love because you can't refute/argue science.

This is very contrary to what the scientific method actually is. A good scientist is willing to have their theories and hypotheseses challenged. Methodology is scrutinized all the time (or at least ideally, and by those with scientific dignity). I'd advise anyone looking at any diet to scrutinize it as much as possible, look up criticisms, and decide for themselves. Run far away from anyone evangelizing any method as the Holy Grail. With the individual differences in biochemistry (though I would argue on the whole we are more similar than we are different), it's really misleading to assume that any method, including conceivable modifications of that method, will fit X person. This includes vegan, paleo, GAPS, SCD, and everything else.

It's irresponsible to assume that because X person failed on Y diet, the person did something wrong. Maybe being vegan really is not beneficial for them. Maybe being paleo really is not beneficial for them. You can't presume to know their situation and why things didn't work for them, unless you're some supernatural being who knows everything beyond what science does (I'm wagering that none of us are). We can't know every single factor that is at work in a person.

After a year and a half of struggling with acne after living a life full of beautiful skin, I've decided to make this post in hopes of helping the people who feel hopeless and that they will never see clear skin in their life again. Here's my disclaimer- I am a nutrition major at UIC and work in the Whole Body/Supplement section of Whole Foods Market. I am not a doctor nor a licensed dietician as of yet so take this information as you please. If you follow my suggestions, I can guarantee clearer, beautiful skin! This may be long but it will be worth your while

First things first, if you don't believe acne and nutrition are connected, I am terribly sorry but you are WRONG. Bacteria and oil are NOT the enemies here, people! Food is. Your skin is an outer reflection of exactly what is going on inside your body. So the very first thing you need to do is reevaluate your diet and please remember to keep an open mind. Everything I am about to tell you has been proven in scientific journals from around the world, if you'd like to learn more I can leave a list of books, movies and online resources to check out.

Despite the controversy, dairy is in fact linked to acne. Dairy wreaks absolute havoc on your body and skin, especially with the standards of the United States' factory farms. It is pumped full of hormones which we know affect skin, anti-biotics and fed a diet of genetically modified corn, ground up cows, pigs, cats, dogs, and whatever else the 'farmer' can get his hands on for cheap. And ever since the drought, 'farmers' have even resorted to feeding their animals with sprinkles, gummy worms, oreos, you name it.

When dairy enters the body, it causes an extremely acidic environment, so your body's defense automatically needs to neutralize and alkalinize it and does so by pulling key nutrients from other parts of the body like your bones and skin. Not only does dairy rob your body and skin of nutrients, it also is left to putrefy in your intestines for 24-48 hours(which is how long it takes the average human to fully digest food). Now take a minute to imagine what would happen to milk/cheese/ice cream if it was left in an environment that's 98 degrees for a day or two. It actually causes little pustules on the intestines much like say, a pimple! Gross, right? Toxins expelled from your intestines need to find their way out of the body, a quick and easy way is through the skin and BAM, acne.

Also, most people after the age of three stop producing, lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose/milk protein. This is because humans were genetically not supposed to consume our mother's milk after the age of three and certainly not supposed to drink the milk of another animal. If you are one of the following nationalities, you are at an extremely high risk of lactose intolerance or not producing lactase:Asian descent- 90-100% lactose intolerant*Native Americans- 95%*African descent- 65-70%*Italian descent- 65-70%*Hispanic descent- 50-60%*(*Reference: The Food Revolution page 99)

If you gather nothing else from this post, please let this be the one! Your body and skin will thank you.

I'm not going to go as in depth with this topic because there is not enough research done on it but almost everything I said about dairy, also goes for meat. It's acidic, it putrefies in the intestines, and the anatomy of human doesn't agree with meat. Carnivore's(meat eaters) take only about 2 hours to fully digest their food, as I mentioned earlier humans take 1-2 days; we are meant to be omnivores.

If you are an animal eater, you're probably extremely overwhelmed right now but please don't be! There is a vegan alternative to every single thing you can imagine. If someone told me a year ago I would be a vegan today I would have laughed in their face. I never thought I could do it. But it's SO much easier than you think. Some yummy alternatives I have found to my favorite comfort foods can be found at health food stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Fruitful Yield, etc. Here's a few of my favorites:

Cow's milk- almond milk, soy milk, coconut milkCheese- Daiya cheese (comes in cheddar, mozzarella and pepper jackMac&Cheese- Amy's rice pasta and vegan cheese(made with daiya cheese) OR Vegan Cafe's creamy macaroni & cheesePizza- Amy's vegan margarita pizza (you also can make your own with the daiya cheese OR at Whole Foods you can order a vegan pizza fresh made by the prepared foods department, it's delish)Milk chocolate- Carob, dark chocolateChocolate snacks- Hail Merry Chocolate Macaroons- THESE ARE TO DIE FOR! I eat them instead of cookies/chocolate bars/etc.Meat- There are plenty alternatives you can buy frozenI also have amazing recipes for vegan chili and vegan black bean burgers that won't make you miss meat.

Aside from animal products, the next trigger for acne is sugar. Yes all types, brown sugar, white sugar, refined sugar you name it. It causes spike in blood sugar and is also very acidic in the body. Most people have heard of and are familiar with the link between sugar and acne so I won't dive into this topic either.

I believe this next trigger comes close to animal products, and that is processed food. Now, I'm not going to be unrealistic and say cut it out completely, but look at the ingredients. Make sure you know what every ingredient is on that label and the fewer the better. Although it may be a few bucks more expensive, chose USDA organic products when possible; they are much more nutrient dense and have far less toxins. Toxins=acne. Shifting toward a clean diet is key.

So now that you've taken away part of your diet, what will go in place? The most nutrient dense, detoxifying, brightening, strengthening foods out there. Crowd out the bad stuff with good stuff. My recommendation is to start off every morning with a smoothie. I believe this is sosososo important! You can get a blender for about $40 at a department store and it will be a great investment in your health. Smoothies should always contain fruits AND veggies! Greens in particular, they are cleansing and detoxifying. You can chose either frozen or fresh fruit, whatever you prefer and through it in your blender. This is usually what I do:

Strawberries, blueberries, mangoes/pineapple with some carrot juice. Then I blend in a stalk or two of kale(remove the middle stem and just use the thin leafy parts) and a few handfuls of spinach. The magic ingredient I end with is a scoop or so of Vibrant Health's Green Vibrance. They also sell this at health food stores or you could always find it online. This stuff is absolutely amazing and essential if you don't get enough greens/vegetables in your diet. It contains just about every green vegetable and seaweed you could think up, PLUS special detoxifying herbs PLUS 25 billion probiotics and at least 95% of your daily value of all the fat soluble vitamins(A,D,E,&K)! If you're not a fan of the consistency/taste of this product you could also try Sunfood's Sun Is Shining which is very similar to Green Vibrance. Feel free to do research on these products, there's lots of good feedback on the net. You will see a difference in your skin just a few days into using it.

If like myself, you have been eating animal products and junk your whole life, your body is probably extremely toxic. I recommend doing a full body cleanse to kick start results. I'm not saying go on a crazy water or juice fast- just adopt your new lifestyle and give your body that extra push it needs. There are cleanses you can get at health food stores. I have tried a few and my favorite has to be Garden of Life's RAW Cleanse- I noticed a different in my complexion just a few days into it. It's raw, it's vegan, it's only seven days, it's amazing. What most people don't understand about cleanses though is that once you cleanse your body, those toxins end up getting filtered through your liver and kidneys which if your body is very toxic, can be a heavy load on your liver. I recommend doing a liver cleanse right after a cleanse or during a cleanse. Good supplements for this are: Himalaya's LiverCare and Soloray's Liver Blend. You can take them at the same time; they just utilize certain herbs that assist the liver in detoxification.

These will rid the body of many toxins but not from everything. Chances are, if you have ever eaten meat in your life, you have worms. 85-90% of American's have worms in their intestines. Worms, along with candida/yeast overgrowth can be major causes of acne. It's really gross but the good news is, you can get rid of them all with one herb. I refer to this herb as magical because of how well it works. Oil of Oregano is the most anti-microbial, anti-bacterial herb known to man. In placebo studies it actually worked better than penicillin and amoxicillin in killing bacteria. Want to know the best thing about it? It doesn't touch your good bacteria, it only kills the bad bacteria unlike anti-biotics which kill ALL bacteria, even your good flora. Oil of Oregano has more benefits than I could count on all my fingers and toes, I'd encourage you to do more research on the benefits of the herb. I'd recommend doing the Oil of Oregano for a month straight, twice a day. I prefer the tincture but it also comes in capsules. I've found Gaia's Oil of Oregano to be one of the cheapest, but most effective. If you have worms or candida/yeast overgrowth, a month should be plenty of time to get your gut in balance. You should absolutely notice a difference in your skin within a few days with this one; it is extremely powerful stuff.

Most people are uneducated about probiotics but they are absolutely vital to curing acne. You want more good bacteria than bad in your gut because bad bacteria is what causes acne. You have countless strains of bacteria and about 400 trillion organisms in your gut so when picking out a probiotic supplement, look for AT LEAST 20 billion organisms and as many strains as you can find, the more, the better. Also, many probiotics are grown in dairy! Make sure you look on the bottle that it says free of dairy- dairy probiotics will do the same thing dairy itself does in the gut. One I've found that works well is MegaFood's MegaFlora. It has 20 billion organisms and 14 strains per capsule. It's dairy and allergen free.

I'm very confident lifestyle changes are enough to cure the skin but for some that have severe acne and/or have been on antibiotics need a little extra attention. If you've taken Accutane or routine anti-biotics, you've done some damage to your intestines. But the good news about the body is that amazing ability it has to repair itself. I would encourage you to do all of the above but you should absolutely focus on probiotics. You should be taking double to quadruple the amount I advised above because your gut is so depleted of good bacteria at this point. I would also add in some reparative herbs. The most important and potent of those being Curcumin which is the extracted active ingredient of the herb, Turmeric. It can actually repair the tissues of your organs inside and out; from your gut to your skin. I would recommend 500 mg twice per day for the first month or so and then cut back to one for maintenance. Other reparative herbs include Neem and Amla. There is a product by Organic India called Skin Renew that includes both of these herbs plus turmeric. I would still advise taking the extra curcumin though.

Lastly, but certainly not least I want to talk about mental stability. Most people wouldn't think your skin and your mental state relate at all but they surprisingly do. Have you ever heard anyone tell you if you imagine/visualize/tell yourself something, your mind can make it happen? Same goes here; if you obsessively look in the mirror, think about your acne, tell yourself how bad it is, etc, your mind will actually make what your subconscious is telling you the truth. So if you obsess and think about your skin most of your days, your mind will make it a reality. You have to let go of what you think you know and talking down about yourself and just love yourself! Everyday for the next month take at least a few minutes out of everyday to tell yourself the following:

I can cure my acne.I have total control over my skin.The healthier I get, the healthier my skin gets.Clear skin is no accident.Curing acne is simple and easy.I will have clear, beautiful skin.

Just say it over and over again. It's best to do it when you are in a relaxed state or meditating(hate that word, but basically just focus on your breathing, relax and repeat the phrases in bold) This will literally make your subconscious believe exactly what you're telling it. This is exactly like hypnosis; if you can't relax on your own, look up self hypnosis online. There are great resources to learning how to get in the right frame of mind for this to actually work. I never knew mental health and skin had any correlation but it makes total sense. To be totally healthy, you need to be healthy body, mind and soul. You will find happiness when all of these are are in balance.

My goal is to help people. I'm well versed in nutrition, natural medicine and supplements. If I have left questions unanswered or have left you confused please do not hesitate to email me or leave a comment here. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions/concerns. For those who have read this entire thing, I hope I have helped in your journey to having beautiful skin and that you take my suggestions and at least give them a try for a month. You have nothing to lose, only clear skin to gain.

-Sarahscampb22@uic.edu

I have several questions about this post:

1. If the skin is indeed a reflection of what's exactly going on inside, wouldn't we expect those with diseases like moyamoya disease, juvenile idiopathic osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, Lou Gehrig's disease or paranoid schizophrenia to have "bad skin?" Are you implying it's impossible for people afflicted with these diseases and various others to have beautiful skin?

2. If everything you said has been proven in scientific journals around the world, why haven't you linked any studies in your post? You could've just put the links at the bottom.

3. Do you know of any double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled studies that milk/dairy does in fact cause acne? Do you have any evidence that the IGF-1 will not be broken down into di- and tri-peptides before it gets absorbed? Do you have any proof the other hormones in milk can be absorbed?

4. Do you have any proof that the body's pH will be effected significantly by foods without us dying?

5. What toxins? What kind? Necrotoxins? Apitoxin? Do you have any proof that those with acne have toxins in their bloodstream?

6. So you mean every type of sugar, including pectin, chitin, cellulose?

7. If humans aren't supposed to drink milk/the nutrition for young offspring from another animal, what about honey?

8. Where are you getting that statistic of 85-90% of Americans have worms in their intestines or that candida overgrowth causes acne?

9. Where is your proof Oil of Oregeno works and that it does in fact kill P.acnes bacteria better without it developing resistance?

10. Where is your proof that the bacteria in probiotics will colonize the intestines without getting expelled?

11. What kind of damage does Accutane or oral antibiotics do to the system? How do you know curcumin is bioavaliable or just won't be expelled from the bloodstream?

12. Why are you advising acne suffers they can cure their acne when there is no cure to begin with?

13. Why do you think skin is an excretion system? Can you explain to me how the stratum corneum is organized to excrete waste?

After a year and a half of struggling with acne after living a life full of beautiful skin, I've decided to make this post in hopes of helping the people who feel hopeless and that they will never see clear skin in their life again. Here's my disclaimer- I am a nutrition major at UIC and work in the Whole Body/Supplement section of Whole Foods Market. I am not a doctor nor a licensed dietician as of yet so take this information as you please. If you follow my suggestions, I can guarantee clearer, beautiful skin! This may be long but it will be worth your while

First things first, if you don't believe acne and nutrition are connected, I am terribly sorry but you are WRONG. Bacteria and oil are NOT the enemies here, people! Food is. Your skin is an outer reflection of exactly what is going on inside your body. So the very first thing you need to do is reevaluate your diet and please remember to keep an open mind. Everything I am about to tell you has been proven in scientific journals from around the world, if you'd like to learn more I can leave a list of books, movies and online resources to check out.

Despite the controversy, dairy is in fact linked to acne. Dairy wreaks absolute havoc on your body and skin, especially with the standards of the United States' factory farms. It is pumped full of hormones which we know affect skin, anti-biotics and fed a diet of genetically modified corn, ground up cows, pigs, cats, dogs, and whatever else the 'farmer' can get his hands on for cheap. And ever since the drought, 'farmers' have even resorted to feeding their animals with sprinkles, gummy worms, oreos, you name it.

When dairy enters the body, it causes an extremely acidic environment, so your body's defense automatically needs to neutralize and alkalinize it and does so by pulling key nutrients from other parts of the body like your bones and skin. Not only does dairy rob your body and skin of nutrients, it also is left to putrefy in your intestines for 24-48 hours(which is how long it takes the average human to fully digest food). Now take a minute to imagine what would happen to milk/cheese/ice cream if it was left in an environment that's 98 degrees for a day or two. It actually causes little pustules on the intestines much like say, a pimple! Gross, right? Toxins expelled from your intestines need to find their way out of the body, a quick and easy way is through the skin and BAM, acne.

Also, most people after the age of three stop producing, lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose/milk protein. This is because humans were genetically not supposed to consume our mother's milk after the age of three and certainly not supposed to drink the milk of another animal. If you are one of the following nationalities, you are at an extremely high risk of lactose intolerance or not producing lactase:Asian descent- 90-100% lactose intolerant*Native Americans- 95%*African descent- 65-70%*Italian descent- 65-70%*Hispanic descent- 50-60%*(*Reference: The Food Revolution page 99)

If you gather nothing else from this post, please let this be the one! Your body and skin will thank you.

I'm not going to go as in depth with this topic because there is not enough research done on it but almost everything I said about dairy, also goes for meat. It's acidic, it putrefies in the intestines, and the anatomy of human doesn't agree with meat. Carnivore's(meat eaters) take only about 2 hours to fully digest their food, as I mentioned earlier humans take 1-2 days; we are meant to be omnivores.

If you are an animal eater, you're probably extremely overwhelmed right now but please don't be! There is a vegan alternative to every single thing you can imagine. If someone told me a year ago I would be a vegan today I would have laughed in their face. I never thought I could do it. But it's SO much easier than you think. Some yummy alternatives I have found to my favorite comfort foods can be found at health food stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Fruitful Yield, etc. Here's a few of my favorites:

Cow's milk- almond milk, soy milk, coconut milkCheese- Daiya cheese (comes in cheddar, mozzarella and pepper jackMac&Cheese- Amy's rice pasta and vegan cheese(made with daiya cheese) OR Vegan Cafe's creamy macaroni & cheesePizza- Amy's vegan margarita pizza (you also can make your own with the daiya cheese OR at Whole Foods you can order a vegan pizza fresh made by the prepared foods department, it's delish)Milk chocolate- Carob, dark chocolateChocolate snacks- Hail Merry Chocolate Macaroons- THESE ARE TO DIE FOR! I eat them instead of cookies/chocolate bars/etc.Meat- There are plenty alternatives you can buy frozenI also have amazing recipes for vegan chili and vegan black bean burgers that won't make you miss meat.

Aside from animal products, the next trigger for acne is sugar. Yes all types, brown sugar, white sugar, refined sugar you name it. It causes spike in blood sugar and is also very acidic in the body. Most people have heard of and are familiar with the link between sugar and acne so I won't dive into this topic either.

I believe this next trigger comes close to animal products, and that is processed food. Now, I'm not going to be unrealistic and say cut it out completely, but look at the ingredients. Make sure you know what every ingredient is on that label and the fewer the better. Although it may be a few bucks more expensive, chose USDA organic products when possible; they are much more nutrient dense and have far less toxins. Toxins=acne. Shifting toward a clean diet is key.

So now that you've taken away part of your diet, what will go in place? The most nutrient dense, detoxifying, brightening, strengthening foods out there. Crowd out the bad stuff with good stuff. My recommendation is to start off every morning with a smoothie. I believe this is sosososo important! You can get a blender for about $40 at a department store and it will be a great investment in your health. Smoothies should always contain fruits AND veggies! Greens in particular, they are cleansing and detoxifying. You can chose either frozen or fresh fruit, whatever you prefer and through it in your blender. This is usually what I do:

Strawberries, blueberries, mangoes/pineapple with some carrot juice. Then I blend in a stalk or two of kale(remove the middle stem and just use the thin leafy parts) and a few handfuls of spinach. The magic ingredient I end with is a scoop or so of Vibrant Health's Green Vibrance. They also sell this at health food stores or you could always find it online. This stuff is absolutely amazing and essential if you don't get enough greens/vegetables in your diet. It contains just about every green vegetable and seaweed you could think up, PLUS special detoxifying herbs PLUS 25 billion probiotics and at least 95% of your daily value of all the fat soluble vitamins(A,D,E,&K)! If you're not a fan of the consistency/taste of this product you could also try Sunfood's Sun Is Shining which is very similar to Green Vibrance. Feel free to do research on these products, there's lots of good feedback on the net. You will see a difference in your skin just a few days into using it.

If like myself, you have been eating animal products and junk your whole life, your body is probably extremely toxic. I recommend doing a full body cleanse to kick start results. I'm not saying go on a crazy water or juice fast- just adopt your new lifestyle and give your body that extra push it needs. There are cleanses you can get at health food stores. I have tried a few and my favorite has to be Garden of Life's RAW Cleanse- I noticed a different in my complexion just a few days into it. It's raw, it's vegan, it's only seven days, it's amazing. What most people don't understand about cleanses though is that once you cleanse your body, those toxins end up getting filtered through your liver and kidneys which if your body is very toxic, can be a heavy load on your liver. I recommend doing a liver cleanse right after a cleanse or during a cleanse. Good supplements for this are: Himalaya's LiverCare and Soloray's Liver Blend. You can take them at the same time; they just utilize certain herbs that assist the liver in detoxification.

These will rid the body of many toxins but not from everything. Chances are, if you have ever eaten meat in your life, you have worms. 85-90% of American's have worms in their intestines. Worms, along with candida/yeast overgrowth can be major causes of acne. It's really gross but the good news is, you can get rid of them all with one herb. I refer to this herb as magical because of how well it works. Oil of Oregano is the most anti-microbial, anti-bacterial herb known to man. In placebo studies it actually worked better than penicillin and amoxicillin in killing bacteria. Want to know the best thing about it? It doesn't touch your good bacteria, it only kills the bad bacteria unlike anti-biotics which kill ALL bacteria, even your good flora. Oil of Oregano has more benefits than I could count on all my fingers and toes, I'd encourage you to do more research on the benefits of the herb. I'd recommend doing the Oil of Oregano for a month straight, twice a day. I prefer the tincture but it also comes in capsules. I've found Gaia's Oil of Oregano to be one of the cheapest, but most effective. If you have worms or candida/yeast overgrowth, a month should be plenty of time to get your gut in balance. You should absolutely notice a difference in your skin within a few days with this one; it is extremely powerful stuff.

Most people are uneducated about probiotics but they are absolutely vital to curing acne. You want more good bacteria than bad in your gut because bad bacteria is what causes acne. You have countless strains of bacteria and about 400 trillion organisms in your gut so when picking out a probiotic supplement, look for AT LEAST 20 billion organisms and as many strains as you can find, the more, the better. Also, many probiotics are grown in dairy! Make sure you look on the bottle that it says free of dairy- dairy probiotics will do the same thing dairy itself does in the gut. One I've found that works well is MegaFood's MegaFlora. It has 20 billion organisms and 14 strains per capsule. It's dairy and allergen free.

I'm very confident lifestyle changes are enough to cure the skin but for some that have severe acne and/or have been on antibiotics need a little extra attention. If you've taken Accutane or routine anti-biotics, you've done some damage to your intestines. But the good news about the body is that amazing ability it has to repair itself. I would encourage you to do all of the above but you should absolutely focus on probiotics. You should be taking double to quadruple the amount I advised above because your gut is so depleted of good bacteria at this point. I would also add in some reparative herbs. The most important and potent of those being Curcumin which is the extracted active ingredient of the herb, Turmeric. It can actually repair the tissues of your organs inside and out; from your gut to your skin. I would recommend 500 mg twice per day for the first month or so and then cut back to one for maintenance. Other reparative herbs include Neem and Amla. There is a product by Organic India called Skin Renew that includes both of these herbs plus turmeric. I would still advise taking the extra curcumin though.

Lastly, but certainly not least I want to talk about mental stability. Most people wouldn't think your skin and your mental state relate at all but they surprisingly do. Have you ever heard anyone tell you if you imagine/visualize/tell yourself something, your mind can make it happen? Same goes here; if you obsessively look in the mirror, think about your acne, tell yourself how bad it is, etc, your mind will actually make what your subconscious is telling you the truth. So if you obsess and think about your skin most of your days, your mind will make it a reality. You have to let go of what you think you know and talking down about yourself and just love yourself! Everyday for the next month take at least a few minutes out of everyday to tell yourself the following:

I can cure my acne.I have total control over my skin.The healthier I get, the healthier my skin gets.Clear skin is no accident.Curing acne is simple and easy.I will have clear, beautiful skin.

Just say it over and over again. It's best to do it when you are in a relaxed state or meditating(hate that word, but basically just focus on your breathing, relax and repeat the phrases in bold) This will literally make your subconscious believe exactly what you're telling it. This is exactly like hypnosis; if you can't relax on your own, look up self hypnosis online. There are great resources to learning how to get in the right frame of mind for this to actually work. I never knew mental health and skin had any correlation but it makes total sense. To be totally healthy, you need to be healthy body, mind and soul. You will find happiness when all of these are are in balance.

My goal is to help people. I'm well versed in nutrition, natural medicine and supplements. If I have left questions unanswered or have left you confused please do not hesitate to email me or leave a comment here. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions/concerns. For those who have read this entire thing, I hope I have helped in your journey to having beautiful skin and that you take my suggestions and at least give them a try for a month. You have nothing to lose, only clear skin to gain.

-Sarahscampb22@uic.edu

I have several questions about this post:

1. If the skin is indeed a reflection of what's exactly going on inside, wouldn't we expect those with diseases like moyamoya disease, juvenile idiopathic osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, Lou Gehrig's disease or paranoid schizophrenia to have "bad skin?" Are you implying it's impossible for people afflicted with these diseases and various others to have beautiful skin?

2. If everything you said has been proven in scientific journals around the world, why haven't you linked any studies in your post? You could've just put the links at the bottom.

3. Do you know of any double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled studies that milk/dairy does in fact cause acne? Do you have any evidence that the IGF-1 will not be broken down into di- and tri-peptides before it gets absorbed? Do you have any proof the other hormones in milk can be absorbed?

4. Do you have any proof that the body's pH will be effected significantly by foods without us dying?

5. What toxins? What kind? Necrotoxins? Apitoxin? Do you have any proof that those with acne have toxins in their bloodstream?

6. So you mean every type of sugar, including pectin, chitin, cellulose?

7. If humans aren't supposed to drink milk/the nutrition for young offspring from another animal, what about honey?

8. Where are you getting that statistic of 85-90% of Americans have worms in their intestines or that candida overgrowth causes acne?

9. Where is your proof Oil of Oregeno works and that it does in fact kill P.acnes bacteria better without it developing resistance?

10. Where is your proof that the bacteria in probiotics will colonize the intestines without getting expelled?

11. What kind of damage does Accutane or oral antibiotics do to the system? How do you know curcumin is bioavaliable or just won't be expelled from the bloodstream?

12. Why are you advising acne suffers they can cure their acne when there is no cure to begin with?

13. Why do you think skin is an excretion system? Can you explain to me how the stratum corneum is organized to excrete waste?

1. First off, you need to realize there are some people out there that just have beautiful flawless skin despite what they do to their bodies. I have several friends that eat like absolute crap, have only a handful of bowel movements a week and still have amazing flawless skin just like their parents, grandparents, etc. As far as the skin is an inner reflection of the body, I should have been more specific- it's a reflection of your digestive organs. Please refer to http://www.naturalne...kin_health.html

2. If you look at my blog on my page, I do have several links, books and movies you can check out to find the scientific studies. I wrote those in in an edit after I made the post and I can't edit them into here but i'll list them out for you.The China Study by T. Collin Campbell, PhD which is a forty year long study and is known as the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted.The Food Revolution by John RobbinsDiet for a New America by John RobbinsEat to Live by Joel Furhman, MD

Here's some books that look at the relationship between food and beauty- both go into detail about dairy consumption and skin.Eating for Beauty by David WolfeThe Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder, CN

3. There are not many studies done on the relationship between dairy and acne but there are a few, one namely done at Harvard School of Public Health. Refer to this site: http://www.diseasepr...s/cat-acne.html

4. Not sure what you mean by this question but when animal products/acid forming foods enter the body they cause an acidic environment and the body's natural defenses nuetralize the environment by pulling alkalinizing minerals/materials from inside the body. So, no you won't die if you eat a lot of acid forming foods, your body's minerals/alkalinizing material will just be depleted each time. Refer to: The China Study by T. Collin Campbell or Forks Over Knives(movie).

5. Again, you need to take into account that some people naturally have flawless skin- those who are not as lucky need to be more careful about how they treat their body. By toxins I mean the toxins that we can control our intake of- not the toxins in the air but the ones in our food; food additives, food preservatives, the chemical change that occurs in the oil when foods are fried, pesticides, herbicides, charred/smoked meats and fish, etc.

6. When I talk about every type of sugar, I mean refined sugar- those that are not naturally occuring in foods.

7. There is quite a bit of controversy on the topic of if honey is suitable for human consumption. I didn't mention anything about honey so not sure why you're bringing it up... It's not a staple in most people's diets anyway.

8. The statistic I got on worms came from a book I referred to above, The Food Revolution by John Robbins. Refer to this site which shows acne as a symptom of yeast overgrowth. http://www.holistich...et/candida.html

9. There are not studies done on Oil of Oregano and acne directly but refer to this site for studies done on Oil of Oregano vs. different mainstream anti-biotics commonly prescribed. I never claimed it killed that exact strain of bacteria- it's just a natural alternative to anti-biotics that doesn't kill the good bacteria. http://www.lewrockwe...rig/sardi6.html Here's an article on Oil of Oregano and acne- not a scientific study. http://oiloforeganos...o-oil-for-acne/ I'd still recommend doing your own research.

10. I never claimed probiotics don't expell through the skin- I'm sure they do but they don't cause acne. I use a probiotic soap bar to wash my face everyday and it helps keep me clear actually...

11. Anti-biotics kill all the flora in your gut including the good. This can damage your organs because you need good bacteria in your body. Refer to: http://www.livestron...antibiotic-use/ but would also recommend doing research of your own. I would also recommend doing research on the amazing healing abilities of Curcumin.

12. I don't believe I used the word cure or even referred to my suggestions as 'the cure'...

I really don't need another rebuttle honestly I spent way too much time just writing this reply, especially because you are just questioning me to see if I have an answer not because you really want to learn or use this stuff. I created this post to help people and share the knowledge I have gained in the past year of being a nutrition major and working at Whole Foods Market. If you don't agree with it that is perfectly okay, I could really care less. So now that you have all the information and resources, I hope I've answered your questions up to par but would seriously recommend doing some research of your own via non-fiction nutrition books. The ones I have listed are great resources so please read those before asking more questions, thanks.

Not to give you a hard time, but I think she meant the actual studies themselves, not websites talking about studies. And preferably studies done in humans in controlled conditions, not epidemiology type stuff. A lot of the China study's dairy conclusions came from studies where the rats were fed an abnormally high amount of dairy proteins too, if I'm not mistaken. I'd wager that they are even less adapted to eating dairy than we are.

I don't doubt that there are healthy populations that are vegan or vegetarian. But in much of the literature you reference, a lot more is going on than just their diet. It's a combination of factors; factors that we know play a role in health and disease. Things like sleep, stress, and exercise. Unless you have controlled conditions in a large study which results are demonstrated in a multitude of other studies (in humans of various populations [and other study conditions]), you cannot make these strong claims like "This is not good for most people. This is good for most people."

You could say that there's evidence that this lifestyle may help people, but the kinds of replacement faux foods that you are recommending is not the same type of vegan/vegetarian diet observed in your sources. And even if you do the same things, we don't know what level of adaptation those populations have.

What I'm getting at is that we have to be careful when we look at someone's diet and say "THIS is the problem." It very well could be, but it'd be better to say "according to this body (and I mean a good amount of research from various institutions) of research, it may be a good idea to try this." And if they try it and it doesn't work for them, we can't assume they are at fault.